1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an objective lens system for endoscopes which has a wide field angle, a short outer diameter, wherein the maximum ray height through the first lens is low, and which is further suitable for a small-sized image sensor.
2) Description of Related Art
With the reducing of the outer diameter of the insertion section of the Endoscope, various optical systems which have a short total length and a short outer diameter have been developed. Among compact optical systems for endoscopes known so far in the art, there are for example an objective lens having three units and four sheets shown in JP KOKAI SHO 63-281112 and JP KOKAI HEI 04-275514 and an objective lens having four units and five sheets shown in JP KOKAI HEI 02-188709.
At a front part of an endoscope, an objective lens, an illumination lens for illuminating a subject, a channel into which various operating supplies are inserted for treatment of affected part and an air and water feeding nozzle for removing waste material from a surface of an objective lens are generally arranged. Generally, endoscopes are designed to keep these parts, especially, the nozzle, out of field of view. In other words, the outer diameter can be made small by reducing the space between the nozzle and the objective lens, but can not be made small over the limit which is determined by the maximum ray height through the objective lens.
FIG. 1 represents a sectional view schematically showing a layout of the front part of an endoscope. In FIG. 1, 1 is a nozzle, 2 is a first lens of the objective optical system, H1 is a line which represents the maximum ray height from an optical axis of an objective optical system, H2 is a line which represents the maximum ray height from an optical axis of another objective optical system, D is a distance from the first lens 2 to the nozzle 1, and R is an outer diameter of the front part of the endoscope. As is clear from FIG. 1, a distance D is restricted by the ray height H1 or H2. The optical system wherein the ray height is shown by H2, that is, an optical system having the lower ray height allows the separation D to be narrowed, accordingly allows the outer diameter R of the front part of the endoscope to be reduced.
FIG. 2 represents a sectional view of the objective system shown in JP KOKAI HEI 04-275514. As is clear from FIG. 2, this objective system comprises a second lens L2 having a positive refractive power and a cemented lens L3, L4, between which a stop S is located.
FIG. 3 represents a sectional view of the objective system shown in JP KOKAI SHO 63-281112. As is clear from FIG. 3, this objective system comprises a first lens L1 and a second lens L2, between which a stop S is located. Because a distance from the first lens L1 to the stop S is short, the ray height through the first lens L1 is lowered.
Besides, recently, with the reducing of the outer diameter of the front part of endoscope, a small-sized image sensor for endoscopes (hereinafter referred to as CCD) is developed, and the pixel pitch is getting small every year. According to an on-chip color filtering CCD wherein a filter is positioned on a light-receiving element, the range of permissible value in relation to an angle of incidence (herein after referred to as an oblique incidence condition) is getting narrow.
FIG. 4 represents a sectional view of a common on-chip color filtering CCD. In FIG. 4, 1A, 1B is a light beam, 22 is a microlens, 23 is an on-chip filter, 24 is a light-receiving element, and 25 is a CCD board. A light beam which enters a CCD is condensed by the microlens 22, colored optimally by an on-chip filter 23 and converted to an electrical signal by the light-receiving element 24. The on-chipped filter 23 and the light-receiving element 24 are located regularly; hereby a conversion of color information of an object to be imaged to a color image is achieved. The light beam 1A enters the light-receiving element 24 through the corresponding color filter, and is readout as a normal color. This situation satisfies the oblique incidence condition of CCD. In contrast to this, since the light beam 1B enters the light-receiving element 24 through a not-corresponding color filter, a normally necessity color is not obtained and a color shading occurs. In this case, the light beam 1B does not satisfy the oblique incidence condition of CCD. This means that, if a ray which does not satisfy the oblique incidence condition enters a CCD, a mottling structurally occurs within the screen by color shading. This mottling interferes diagnosis of affected part, thus, a design which satisfies permissible value is desired especially in endoscopes.
FIG. 5 represents a sectional view objective system shown in JP KOKAI HEI 02-188709. In this lens system, for the purpose of shortening a total length, power of each lens L1-L5 is made to be strong.